The parish governing authority may let assessed property owners pay in installments, but the owners must follow the stated payment and note-signing steps.
§3688. Installment payments; notes evidencing deferred payments NOTE: AS AMENDED BY ACTS 1950, NO. 71, §1: The governing authority of the parish shall provide in the ordinance accepting the work and making the assessment that the property owners therein assessed, (including the parish where it owns property abutting on the street paved), availing themselves of the privilege within ten days after the passage of the ordinance, may (1) within ten days after passage of the ordinance pay in cash one-fifteenth of the amount of their indebtedness and pay the balance in fourteen equal annual installments. As evidence of these deferred payments the property owners shall sign fourteen promissory notes each for one-fifteenth of the amount due and payable, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen years from date respectively or sooner at the option of the maker. The notes shall be made payable to the order of the parish, dated ten days after passage of said ordinance, bearing interest at a maximum rate of five per cent per annum from date until paid, payable annually, and ten per cent attorney's fees if placed in the hands of an attorney for collection after maturity, which notes, when paraphed by the clerk or secretary of the parish police jury to identify them with the ordinance levying the assessment, shall carry with them in the possession of any bona fide owner as to lots or land owned by it abutting on the street or road improved under R.S. 33:3681 through R.S. 33:3689, and the governing authority of the parish shall have the right to issue certificates, notes or other evidence of debt, to represent the deferred payments on its assessment, levied against it in the ordinance accepting the work and levying the assessments therefor and fixing the terms of payment. At the time of the issuance of the certificates, notes, or other evidences of debt the governing authority shall, by ordinance, provide for their payment and set aside, dedicate and pledge so much of the general revenues of the parish in each year for the years through which the certificates, notes or other evidences of debt may run, as may be necessary to pay them in principal and interest as they mature. This dedication and pledge shall be incorporated in the certificates, notes or other evidences of debt when issued, and shall constitute a fixed charge against the general revenues of the parish. The notes may be transferred by the parish, without recourse, to the contractor, at their face value, in payment pro tanto of the work done by him, and the contractor or his transferee shall enjoy the lien and privilege and all other rights accruing to the parish ordering the work. NOTE: AS AMENDED BY ACTS 1950, NO. 156 §1; ACTS 1950, NO. 316, §7; ACTS 1954, NO. 661, §1: The police jury may, in their discretion, in the ordinance accepting the work and making said assessments, allow all property owners therein assessed, who, within thirty days after the passage of said ordinance, make written application therefor and pay in cash ten per cent of the amount of their indebtedness, to pay the balance of the indebtedness in nine equal annual installments; provided that as evidence of the deferred payments, the property owner so applying and depositing the ten per cent, shall sign and execute nine promissory notes, payable to the order of the parish, each for ten per cent of the amount due by him, dated thirty days after the passage of the ordinance accepting the work, maturing respectively one to nine years from date, or sooner, at the option of the owner, bearing annual interest from date at the rate fixed by the police jury pursuant to R.S. 33:3686, and ten per cent attorney's fees in event of suit to enforce collection after maturity, which notes, paraphed by the secretary or clerk of the police jury as being "secured by Assessment No. __ of local Assessment Ordinance No. __" shall carry with them the lien and privilege above provided. The notes may be transferred by the parish, without recourse, to the contractor, at their face value, in payment pro tanto of the work done by him. The said property owner shall have the right at option to pay twenty per centum of his indebtedness in cash, and give notes due at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years for twenty per centum, each, for said indebtedness, said notes to be in all other respects as hereinabove set out. Amended by Acts 1950, No. 71, §1; Acts 1950, No. 156, §1; Acts 1950, No. 316, §7; Acts 1954, No. 661, §1.